A person interested in pursuing a career in cosmetology can enroll in a variety of beauty courses. Courses in skincare, hair artistry, makeup artistry, and manicuring are among them. Most of these disciplines require training at a specialized beauty college, but some may be available at junior colleges. Individuals interested in becoming a medical aesthetician can take beauty classes at a specialized school, but others in the field recommend that those interested in the field also take separate biology and anatomy classes.
The requirements for working in the beauty industry vary depending on the country or state in which one wishes to work. In the United States, most states require beauty workers to obtain a license in their field before being hired by a salon. Intensive beauty courses must be completed at an accredited institution in order to do so. Individuals who plan to open their own salon or be otherwise self-employed in any cosmetology-related field must first take beauty courses and pass all relevant licensing exams, depending on the state.
Other beauty courses include barbering, massage therapy, and spa therapy training, in addition to hair styling, makeup, skincare, and manicuring. Careers related to these courses, also known as personal appearance workers, are among the fastest growing of all occupations in the United States, and are expected to remain so. Some beauty courses last nine months on average, but others can last up to two years. Working adults who enroll part-time in beauty school may take longer to complete all of the required coursework for licensing exams.
Facials, body waxing, exfoliation, and various skin treatments are typically covered in beauty courses relating to skincare. Medical aesthetics, a skincare specialty that uses these same courses but often requires more experience in medical settings, is another skincare specialty that uses these same courses. This is due to the fact that medical aestheticians collaborate with plastic surgeons to help patients improve their appearance following a medical trauma or elective surgery. Following cosmetic surgery, special skincare instructions are frequently required, and these specialized aestheticians must consult with patients in this regard. Medical aestheticians may benefit from college courses in anatomy and biology for additional education in treating medical patients, in addition to beauty courses that prepare students for careers in skincare.